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Denature Alcohol Candle for case annealing. A twist on John Barsness wax candle anneal method. No soot to clean off case.

Can't see the annealed color of the case necks/shoulder in the photo. Similar to that sexy look that new Lapua brass has.

The alcohol flame is very clean leaving no soot. Roll the case in the flame until warmth is noted where you hold the case. Done.

I suppose you could use a wet rag to chill the case. IMO there is not enough heat that migrates to the case head to affect the brass hardness in that region.

Bought patio lamp wicks at Menards, ~0.250" diameter, $1.99 + the governors cut. Glass bottle w/metal cap, punch hole with a nail set punch. Empty unused DNA back into bulk can when done annealing cases.

Hmmmm...I like it!

Nice. Very nice with no soot.

Tag

Put it on Youtube and give us access info ---- Please

How many seconds in cycle time until "warm and done?"

Depends on the case size. 308 takes longer than 223 until I feel the warmth in index finger & thumb. I grasp the case head between thumb & index finger, insert neck/shoulder into flame, roll case between finger/thumb until case warms to the touch. Definitely not hot enough to hurt, but warm. Set the case down, on to the next one. I'll see a bit of color change on neck/shoulder surface.

Rug3, play what I described above in your noggin, that's what the YouTube video would look like.

JB's wax candle & this DNA candle method are better for me due to the less intense heat than a propane torch outputs. I'm not able to overheat the case neck for this reason. Slower & more controlled, but still quick enough.

Looks like a good (and "affordable") set-up!

However, I need to point out (as I have before many times when this subject comes up) that candle annealing isn't my method. It was developed by Fred Barker, and described in an article in PRECISION SHOOTING. Fred sent me a copy of the article, and I just passed it along.

Knew I should have mentioned that you credit Fred Barker JB. Saw that in your black book too (Obsession).

I've wrecked many a good case with a propane torch. The candle method is so much more forgiving.

Yeah, Fred came up with an excellent method!

Interesting method, but have you tested it with templilaq ? Seems like it would get to hot to hold before the neck and shoulder got hot enough. Bet your fingers smart after doing 50 or so.

Fred Barker developed the candle method using Tempilaq, but his method involved holding the case so only the fingertips (the most sensitive to heat) held the case halfway along its body. When the case got too hot to hold, he dropped it on a wet rag, then used the rag to rub off the soot and stop the annealing.

John-- I've used this method but once I dropped the case on the wet towel, I just went straight to the next piece of brass-- not wiping off the soot until the whole batch was complete. As I read your post I might be skipping an important step in stopping the annealing-- am I reading it correctly? Thanks-- Bill

You're right, if you hold each case in the middle until it is too hot to hold your fingers will acquire a bit of a sunburn. So I quickly learned an alternate way to do that.

Count the seconds it takes for the first 2 or 3 to reach "too hot to hold", which is not a test of pain endurance, just too hot to hold without burning your fingers. That time will only vary by maybe a second from case to case. Once you've established a baseline you can hold the cases by the head and just count how long to keep them in the flame. Or use a socket of appropriate size in a drill or electric screwdriver to hold the case and rotate it in the flame.

John,
What is your method of annealing rifle brass?

Tag

I've used several, but I primarily use the candle method--with Jim In Idaho's counting suggestion. Prevents burned fingertips.

For large amounts of brass I have an Anneal-Rite machine, https://www.cartridgeanneal.com/

Probably the most precise method (and somewhat quicker than the candle method) is an Annealing Made Perfect machine, but they cost around $1000, https://www.ampannealing.com/ Have tested one thoroughly but haven't purchased one--yet.

I've got to get a annealing setup going this yr. I may try this as it seems like it would be cheaper than using propane. This is better than counting...

http://a.bestmetronome.com/

http://www.massreloading.com/annealing.html

From that link:

"Brass is annealed by heating it to a certain temperature for a certain amount of time. The higher the annealing temperature, the shorter the time required to anneal. The grain structure of the brass begins to change - indicating the start of annealing - at just under 500 degrees Fahrenheit. At 600 degrees F, brass will anneal in one hour. At 800 degrees F, brass will take only a few seconds to anneal.

Only the case necks should be annealed. If the case body or head is allowed to overheat, the case will be completely and irrevocably ruined for reloading. Also, no portion of the case should ever be allowed to reach 950 degrees F. At this temperature, over-annealing will occur, rendering the brass too soft and weak to reload.

As you can see, annealing is a balancing act - the neck must be heated (but not overheated) to the appropriate temperature for the appropriate time, while ensuring that the rest of the case does not reach a temperature that will cause it to soften as well. In addition, your process needs to be very consistent from case-to-case in order to preserve accuracy."

My words: once the case is withdrawn from the heat annealing subsides. Non-ferrous metals do not require quenching to stop or complete the anneal process.

Have you tried the salt bath annealing method MD? It seems to work quite well. In my case... if something is hot I'll find a way to touch it and it seems like an accidental bump or few drops of water could lead to instant 3rd degree burns from this deal.